Capsule endoscope system

Abstract

A capsule endoscope system includes a contact detector that detects contact with an inner wall of a lumen in the subject; a magnet which is equipped in the capsule endoscope; a magnetic field generating device that is provided at a position, which is fixed with respect to the magnet, and generates a guidance magnetic field to apply to the magnet from the outside of the subject; and a magnetic field generation controller that performs control for guidance in a direction in which the capsule endoscope moves, which is the direction of the axis of the lumen, and performs guidance control for separating the capsule endoscope from the inner wall of the lumen based on a result of detection by the contact detector.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A capsule endoscope system for guiding a capsule endoscope that is introduced into a subject and floats in liquid or is submerged in the liquid in the subject, the capsule endoscope system comprising:
 a contact detector that detects contact with an inner wall of a lumen in the subject; 
 a magnet which is equipped in the capsule endoscope; 
 a magnetic field generating device that is provided at a position, which is fixed with respect to the magnet, and generates a guidance magnetic field to apply to the magnet from the outside of the subject; and 
 a magnetic field generation controller that performs control for guidance in a direction in which the capsule endoscope moves, which is the direction of the axis of the lumen, and performs guidance control for separating the capsule endoscope from the inner wall of the lumen on based on the result of detection by the contact detector, wherein 
 the magnetic field generation controller controls the magnetic field generating device to generate a guidance magnetic field for performing control for guidance in a direction in which the capsule endoscope moves horizontally, 
 the magnetic field generation controller only controls, when a specific gravity of the capsule endoscope is less than that of a liquid supplied into the subject and when the contact detector detects the contact with the magnetic field generating device generating no guidance magnetic field for performing control for guidance downward in the gravitational force direction, the magnetic field generating device to generate a guidance magnetic field for performing control for guidance downward in the gravitational force direction, 
 the magnetic field generation controller then moves, when the contact detector detects the contact with the magnetic field generating device generating the guidance magnetic field for performing control for guidance downward in the gravitational force direction, the capsule endoscope so that the capsule endoscope zigzags by repeatedly stopping the control for guidance downward in the gravitational force direction, 
 the magnetic field generation controller only controls, when a specific gravity of the capsule endoscope is more than that of a liquid supplied into the subject and when the contact detector detects the contact with the magnetic field generating device generating no guidance magnetic field for performing control for guidance upward in the gravitational force direction, the magnetic field generating device to generate a guidance magnetic field for performing control for guidance upward in the gravitational force direction, and 
 the magnetic field generation controller then moves, when the contact detector detects the contact with the magnetic field generating device generating the guidance magnetic field for performing control for guidance upward in the gravitational force direction, the capsule endoscope so that the capsule endoscope zigzags by repeatedly stopping the control for guidance upward in the gravitational force direction. 
 
     
     
       2. The capsule endoscope system according to  claim 1 , wherein the contact detector is provided on the outer surface of a casing of the capsule endoscope. 
     
     
       3. The capsule endoscope system according to  claim 2 , wherein the contact detector is a pressure sensor that detects a contact pressure. 
     
     
       4. The capsule endoscope system according to  claim 2 , wherein the contact detector is an impedance sensor. 
     
     
       5. The capsule endoscope system according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one imaging unit which is equipped in the capsule endoscope that captures an in-vivo image of the subject,
 wherein the contact detector detects contact with the inner wall of the lumen based on light control information and exposure information that is obtained when the imaging unit captures an image. 
 
     
     
       6. The capsule endoscope system according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one imaging unit which is equipped in the capsule endoscope that captures an in-vivo image of the subject,
 wherein the contact detector detects contact with the inner wall of the lumen based on information on luminance of an image, which is acquired by the imaging unit. 
 
     
     
       7. The capsule endoscope system according to  claim 1 , wherein the center of gravity of the capsule endoscope is at approximately the center of the capsule endoscope. 
     
     
       8. The capsule endoscope system according to  claim 5 , wherein the imaging unit is provided at one of the ends or each of the ends of the capsule endoscope in the direction of the axis of a cylindrical casing. 
     
     
       9. The capsule endoscope system according to  claim 6 , wherein the imaging unit is provided at one of the ends or each of the ends of the capsule endoscope in the direction of the axis of a cylindrical casing. 
     
     
       10. The capsule endoscope system according to  claim 1 , wherein the magnet is arranged such that a magnetization direction is orthogonal to the direction of the axis of a cylindrical casing. 
     
     
       11. The capsule endoscope system according to  claim 1 , wherein the magnet is arranged such that a magnetization direction is parallel to the direction of the axis of a cylindrical casing. 
     
     
       12. The capsule endoscope system according to  claim 11 , wherein the magnetic field generation controller performs control for generating a guidance magnetic field that causes the capsule endoscope to rotate by at least 180 degrees. 
     
     
       13. The capsule endoscope system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a posture detector that detects a posture of the subject; 
 a position detector that detects a site in the large intestine, in which the capsule endoscope is positioned; and 
 a posture director that directs a change in the posture of the subject based on the posture of the subject, which is detected by the posture detector, and the site, which is detected by the position detector, such that the site, which is detected by the position detector, is at a vertically lower side.